The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Sydney Apartments

The Sydney CBD is set for a new mixed-use residential and office development.

Fife Capital, the alternative asset manager led by Allan Fife, has lodged plans for two towers in the heart of the CBD, one residential and one commercial&nbsp;at 114-120 Castlereagh Street and 139 Elizabeth Street.

Fife paid $46 million for the two sites last year&nbsp;when buying from the hotelier Kim Maloney, the publican at Hotel Bondi.

114-120 Castlereagh, currently home to George Bosch Chambers,&nbsp;spans eight storeys and dates back to the mid 1920s. The St James Hotel currently occupies the lower ground, ground and first level.

That building will stay, with GML Heritage stating the building is culturally significant and should be retained and conserved, despite no heritage overlay of the 1920s-built building which underwent a renovation in the mid-1980s.

139 Elizabeth, to the rear of the Castlereagh building fronting Hyde Park, is a four-storey masonry building. With no significant enough heritage or streetscape impact, 139 Elizabeth will be demolished and make way for the 17-level apartment tower, which will home just 26 luxury apartments.

<img alt="" height="932" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/castle_location_2.jpg" width="1200" /> 
The development will be located across the road from&nbsp;the well-known David Jones Men&rsquo;s Store, which will be redeveloped by CBUS in to a 22-level residential tower at 77 Market Street. Source: City of Sydney

There will be&nbsp;one, two and three bedroom apartments, and a two-level, four bedroom penthouse across levels 15 and 16.

The majority of the units will face the park, with some facing Castlereagh Street and the lower levels facing Elizabeth Street and will contain wintergreens. A landscaped communal open space has been designed above the commercial building at level 10.&nbsp;The roof terrace provides communal facilities including BBQ area, outdoor dining and recreation areas.

<img alt="" height="805" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/castle_3_plan.jpeg" width="1200" /> 
The proposed Elizabeth Street frontage. Source: City of Sydney Council

Fife commissioned the Chippendale-based Tony Owen Partners to prepare the development application. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&ldquo;Whilst the site is tight, the proposal maximises the potential for landscaped are in this small inner city site,&rdquo; the design verification statement&nbsp;read.

Tony Owen Partners designed the 17-storey residential tower The&nbsp;Eliza, which adjoins one of the building&#39;s on Elizabeth Street for the Ceerose Group. 
 
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There was a design advisory panel held between the City of Sydney and Tony Owen Partners&nbsp;in February where issues about the development were discussed&nbsp;and resolved.

Overview of proposal:&nbsp;

&bull; Retention of retail space on the ground floor and basement of Castlereagh St building.&nbsp;

&bull; Retention of the fa&ccedil;ade and majority of building fabric of Castlereagh St building.&nbsp;

&bull; Existing levels of the Castlereagh St building to be refurbished as a commercial building as present.&nbsp;

&bull; Additional levels above the exiting building on Castlereagh St containing residential uses.

&bull; Additional cores and structure if required to support additional built form.&nbsp;

&bull; A new building on Elizabeth Street consisting of residential uses.

The development also located up the road from the soon-to-be-completed Castle Residences, the luxury 131 apartment by Urban Development Sydney which sits at 203 Castlereagh Street.

The Candalepas Associates-designed, 36-level tower, which incorporates hotel suites as well as residential apartments, is set for completion in December.

Urban Development Sydney has just relaunched the $18 million penthouse.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7758 project_image_fid=150461]

Fife paid $46 million for the two sites in 2020 when buying from the hotelier Kim Maloney, the publican at Hotel Bondi.

Exclusive: Fife Capital lodge Castlereagh Street, Sydney CBD mixed-use apartment and office development

Sydney apartment vendors secured a 70 percent weekend auction success rate with CoreLogic advising almost half the sales were pre-auction.

CoreLogic reported 214 apartment and townhouse sales with 97 finding buyers before auction.

Sydney estate agents secured 52 sales via online auctions given the city being in lockdown.

Some 48 listings were postponed.

CoreLogic calculated a $1.03 million median.

Sydney&#39;s dearest weekend apartment sale was the two bedroom, two bathroom at 161/5 Wulumay Close, Rozelle which sold at online auction for $2.77 million.

<a href="/developments/sydney-nsw?source_news_article_id=104928&amp;ref=news_body_link"><img alt="" height="800" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/sydney-cbd-_template_10.jpg" width="1200" /></a>

Balmain Realty agent Scott Robertson marketed the top floor apartment as within &quot;the prized Balmain Cove harbourfront complex ... with exceptional build quality by Walker Corporation.&quot;

There had been a $2.5 million price guide for the refreshed 1999-built apartment with 127 sqm floor space.

It had last sold in 2012 at $1,275,000 and in 2006&nbsp;at $930,000.

It first sold off the plan in 1997 at $695,000.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sydney was the strongest city with Brisbane seeing a 27 percent success rate for its apartment offerings.

Melbourne&#39;s 285 results saw a 66 percent success rate with a $670,000 median price.

Nationally there were 530 results across all the capital cities with a 67 percent success rate and a $737,000 median price.

CoreLogic advised almost half the Sydney apartment sales were pre-auction

jchancellor

Walker Corp apartment tops weekend auctions with Sydney vendors securing 70 percent success rate

The Greg Shand-owned Barana Group are set to tweak their Kent Street, Sydney CBD mixed-use development.

They&#39;ve submitted a proposal to the City of Sydney Council which would sees the&nbsp;$88 million FJMT-designed tower no&nbsp;longer interconnected along the bottom levels.

Barana now want the towers to stand separately at 189-197 Kent Street. They are also seeking to raise the height of the approved development site to 110 metres from 80&nbsp;metres, as well as bring&nbsp;the north tower height closer to the south tower.

Barana&#39;s wording suggests they aren&#39;t expecting to see the amendment refused,&nbsp;given the development sits within a &#39;tower cluster&#39; area.

<img alt="" height="803" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/barana_2.jpg" width="1200" /> 
The original proposal was for the towers to be interconnected.&nbsp;Image source: City of Sydney

&quot;This &lsquo;amending&rsquo; DA seeks approval for additional height on the southern tower, removal of interconnected massing between the two towers, increased width of the through-site link, increased ground level setbacks to Kent Street, a resultant altered building envelope, and other design minor changes,&quot; the submission read.

&quot;Barana Group seeks to increase the building height of the south tower to meet the street frontage of the southern neighbour. This will allow a more gradual transition from the 80 height of the northern neighbour to the 110 m height of the southern neighbour separated by the through-site link forming a shadow joint.

&quot;These changes have been informed by the Central Sydney Planning Strategy and accompanying amendments to the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012, expected to be gazetted in mid-2021, which will increase the height limit for the site to 110m and identify it as being within a &lsquo;tower cluster&rsquo; area.

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&quot;The proposed amendments do not alter the key approved key development metrics, including the number of dwellings, gross floor area and car parking numbers/layout.

There will be 125 apartments across one of the 24 storey towers.

A stage one development application was&nbsp;originally approved in September 2015. Five years later a&nbsp;new stage one development application&nbsp;was approved, superseding the 2014 application approval.

That was modified in December 2020 to reflect the stage two development application design from FJMT, who won a&nbsp;Competitive Design Alternatives Process which was held in accordance with the City of Sydney Competitive Design Policy and Design Excellence Strategy.

FJMT&rsquo;s scheme was selected by the panel as the winning design, beating design entries from Koichi Takada Architects, Woods Bagot and Bates Smart.

Barana's wording suggests they aren't expecting to see the amendment refused, given the development sits within a 'tower cluster' area

Barana Group seek to make mixed-use Kent Street, Sydney CBD tower taller

Crown Group are on the look out for apartment development sites, as the Sydney headquartered developer looks to bulk up its apartment development pipeline for the next five to 10 years.

They&#39;re not limiting their search to opportunities just in the Harbour capital however, with&nbsp;Crown Group Chairman and chief executive Iwan Sunito suggesting they are also looking in Melbourne and Brisbane.

&ldquo;While the international border remains closed, growth will be hampered significantly,&quot; Sunito said, adding that the hampered growth is why they are looking at development deals.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5763 project_image_fid=56773] 
 
&ldquo;The market is more realistic than three to five years ago as foreign groups and state-owned enterprises have left the market.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The market contracted due to the Government&rsquo;s policy on foreign buyers having to pay double the stamp duty as well as difficulty in finding access to funding.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&ldquo;Covid-19 and the shutdown of the international border also dramatically impacted Australia&rsquo;s residential apartment market, where foreign buyers used to make up at least 50 per cent of purchasers,&rdquo; Sunito noted.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7020 project_image_fid=163819]

Despite the international border remaining closed, Crown Group remains confident in the future, based on initiatives such as government stimulus packages such as Jobkeeper which has buoyed Australia&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;

Sunito compares the stimulus supply offered by the Australian government as similar to the US.

&ldquo;Property prices have risen in the US in the last 12 months, which is not dissimilar to Sydney,&rdquo; Sunito noted.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7020 project_image_fid=163817]

&ldquo;There is such a shortfall of city apartments. The first home buyer grant really only impacts the house and land market due to the price point. It&rsquo;s barely making an impact in the apartment market as apartments in the inner city are upwards of $1 million.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;The city will experience a crisis of supply which will in turn push the price growth even further in inner city apartment developments,&rdquo; Sunito said.

Crown are currently marketing two inner city Sydney projects, the luxury Waterfall by Crown at Waterloo, completed in late 2019 shortly before COVID hit, and the nearby Mastery by Crown which will be Australia&#39;s first Japanese-themed community.

Designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in collaboration with&nbsp;Koichi Takada&nbsp;Architects and Silvester Fuller, the masterplanned community will have five&nbsp;uniquely designed and distinct residential buildings positioned above a 2,175&nbsp;sqm&nbsp;retail precinct which will home&nbsp;27 stores and a new&nbsp;Japanese eat street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7020 project_image_fid=163813]

“While the international border remains closed, growth will be hampered significantly," Sunito said

Crown Group look to expand apartment development pipeline, weighing up opportunities in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne 

Sales of trophy apartments continued in Sydney despite the elevated lockdown restrictions.

There was a $3.3 million sale of a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in Harry Seidler&rsquo;s Horizon building.

The panorama includes Sydney&rsquo;s Harbour, Bridge, Opera House, and the CBD skyline from its 23rd floor.

It sold in February 2020 at $2.4 million.

It was sold by Richardson &amp; Wrench Elizabeth Bay.

There were 685 auction results for apartments and townhouses across the capital cities over the past week, with a 68 percent success rate, according to CoreLogic.

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Sydney had 79 percent success rates for the 291 apartment auctions.

Melbourne had a 63 percent success rate from 343 apartment and townhouse offerings, on what was Melbourne&#39;s second busiest weekend this year.

Melbourne&#39;s top apartment sale was $1.68 million in Port Melbourne.

The three bedroom apartment has views across the waters of Port Phillip Bay spanning from Williamstown, past St.Kilda and down towards the Mornington Peninsula.&nbsp;

It last sold at $935,000 in 2007.

The complex has an in-ground swimming pool and a gymnasium.

There was a $3.3 million sale of 2302/184 Forbes Street, Darlinghurst on the weekend

$3.3 million Horizon, Darlinghurst trophy apartment tops weekend sales

Like many other Sydney display suites, the Pavilions display suite is closed.

However the &nbsp;Mirvac sales office at Sydney Olympic Park is open by virtual appointment due to the current Covid-19 restrictions.

Buyers have been told the actual sales office is currently closed until Saturday 10th July pending State Government restrictions.

The project has 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments, plus skyhomes and terrace for sale.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7363 project_image_fid=166645]

The display suite at Portman House, Green Square, Australia’s first residential building to seek WELL v2 certification, is also available via virtual appointment.

At Bondi Junction, the developer Lindsay Bennelong is open but by private appointment only at its Whitton Lane project.

"Due to Covid restrictions only one on one private appointments can be conducted," it has advised.

"Please wear a mask and we adhere to social distancing regulations," it noted.

The Adela, Burwood display suite of Aoyuan International is advised as "closed during lockdown - till further notice."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6842 project_image_fid=79499]

Meriton advises "due to temporary COVID restrictions private appointments and virtual appointments are now available between 10am – 5pm 7 days a week" at its Pagewood Green Orchid display suite.

Atelier, the Ceerose project at 32 Jarret Street, Leichhardt, advises its buyers that it was "continuing to closely monitor the ongoing COVID-19 situation, with the health and well-being of our customers and staff as a top priority."

"To maximise precautions, and in the interest of your safety all inspections have been moved to private appointments.&nbsp;

"Should you visit there will be some screening questions we’ll need to ask you in addition to practicing safe social distancing guidelines including observing a distance of 1.5m between people and limiting numbers to 3 people per appointment."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=14867 project_image_fid=78381]

The severest closure came when Melbourne developers saw their display suites closed for two months until late October last year with the lifting of pandemic restrictions on open inspections.

Last week the RBA lauded apartment developers using virtual walk-throughs in place of in-person inspections since the pandemic hit the country early last year.

The reference to property development firms using virtual walk-throughs came in a speech from RBA assistant governor Luci Ellis.

Frasers Midtown sales and display centre at Macquarie Park remains open according to its website marketing, but by appointment only.&nbsp;

"Like our team, we request you practice good hand hygiene, wear an approved face covering and maintain physical distancing, by keeping 1.5m away from others.

"Our sales team are also available via phone, video and email according to your preferences, so we can safeguard the health of our customers and staff," its website advised.

The Real Estate Institute of NSW CEO Tim McKibbin noted while the operating environment for agents and consumers is temporarily interrupted, he said the fundamentals remain largely unchanged.&nbsp;

"Demand still outstrips supply and prices can be expected to remain strong, though the pace of growth has naturally eased," he said.

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The Pavilions display suite is closed at 2 Figtree Drive, Sydney Olympic Park but virtual inspections are underway

Mirvac among Sydney developers who've pivoted to virtual appointments during COVID lockdown

Birmingham, one of the boutique building&#39;s in Alexandria&#39;s Alex Collective in inner-Sydney, saw stellar sales at its launch at the weekend.

Around 40 per cent of the 46 apartments available sold through Colliers, with sales ranging from $770,000 to $2.1 million.

Owner-occupiers were the keenest of buyers, Colliers director of residential Daniel McMahon says.

&quot;Alex Collective&rsquo;s distinctive design features including intricate brick fa&ccedil;ade, large bay windows, environmentally-friendly features and recreational amenity have captured the attention of owner occupiers.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29785 project_image_fid=91611]

&quot;Buyers have recognised that alternative product in the market does not match the premium quality of Alex Collective&rsquo;s apartments.

&quot;Discerning purchasers are looking for a city-fringe apartment that is within easy reach of the CBD and also boasts a lifestyle that is social and active.

The apartments are part of The Birmingham, one of four apartments buildings that make up the 163-apartment development&nbsp;Alex Collective at 163-173 McEvoy Street, created in partnership between Ceerose and Alexa Development.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29785 project_image_fid=91571]

Designed by architect Andrew Burns, The Birmingham features saw-tooth roofs, light wells and sky bridges.

McMahon says there&nbsp;is limited availability of quality apartments currently available for purchase around the city fringe.

&quot;Alexandria has always been a highly sought-after location with strong demand for warehouse style apartments in this historical industrial-aged location.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=29785 project_image_fid=91605]

&quot;Price growth in some areas of the suburb have witnessed a 15 per cent growth surge within the last 12 months, which will only continue with infrastructure investment that is planned in the area.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Projects that offer a high-quality product in tightly held locations, supported by developers and builders with a strong track record of delivering quality developments are achieving strong sales results. Ceerose has ticked all these boxes with Alex Collective, which is resulting in consistent sales each week.&quot;

The upper level residences in Birmingham will have views toward the city skyline, Sydney Park and Alexandria&#39;s streetscapes. There are a number of private courtyard apartments, oriented to the north to maximise sunlight.

Edward Doueihi, Managing Director of Ceerose, says Alex Collective links Alexandria&nbsp;across a century of change.

&quot;The boutique development will deliver beautiful tailor-made homes with an industrial spirit, created with discerning owner-occupiers in mind.

&quot;Ceerose aims to create a benchmark for Alexandria and leave a legacy for the suburb and future generations.&rdquo;

Owner-occupiers were the keenest of buyers, Colliers director of residential Daniel McMahon says

Birmingham, Alexandria apartments fly off the shelves at weekend launch

The Greater Sydney apartment pipeline is tipped to plunge by 2024, with the 36,275 new apartment developments to be completed over the next three years, well below the 67,925 recorded in the prior 2018-20 period.

The major decline has been revealed in Knight Frank Research&rsquo;s Australian residential development review 2021, which tips a 47 percent decline.

&ldquo;Limited new apartment project launches in recent years have highlighted the supply issues ahead for Sydney with decade low levels of new supply in the pipeline,&quot; said Knight Frank&rsquo;s head of residential research, Michelle Ciesielski.

She also noted as developers commence construction, &quot;they&rsquo;re likely to feel the pinch from rising building costs and sourcing labour with limited migration and competition from a mammoth pipeline of state and federal government infrastructure projects being fast-tracked.&quot;

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&ldquo;With an increased reliance on sub-contractors, there is also competition coming from those dabbling in home renovation post lockdown.&rdquo;

Despite a weakening apartment market, NSW has for the 9th straight year maintained its position as the nation&rsquo;s leader for developer&rsquo;s expanding their sites portfolio, accounting for almost half of all sales in Australia last year.

Of the $4.1bn of total residential development site sales recorded nationwide in 2020, Sydney accounted for $1.97bn which was above Victoria ($1.29bn), Queensland ($642m) and Western Australia ($84.8m).

While high-density apartments made up the majority of total Sydney residential development sales ($1.3bn in 2020), Sydney also experienced a significant increase in low-density developments.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=32227 project_image_fid=93945]

Last year, 27.6% of development sites purchased across Greater Sydney were suitable for low density development,which was almost double the 14.2% share of low-density developments recorded in 2019.

Overall, a total of 8,280 new single allotments were released across Greater Sydney in 2020, up 70.4% on 2019, while low-density building approvals grew by 7.5%, with 26,483 single dwellings.

Despite the trend away from high-density projects in Greater Sydney, Knight Frank noted there were developers making longer term plans for this product with a rapid rise in collective site developments &ndash; considered those with the potential for residential development and including more than one vendor&ndash;with GreaterSydney recording $474.7m of sales in 2020.&nbsp;

The investment being made in collective site developments in Sydney is the highest among all capital cities.

Knight Frank&#39;s Head of Investment Sales in NSW, Grant Bulpett said: while HomeBuilder has lured first home buyers to the low-density market, many developers were already seeking longer term plays with significant englobo parcels being purchased in recent years.

&ldquo;This gives these developers options to subdivide, then turn the tap on and off to meet market demand.

&ldquo;With strong off the plan sales, low-density developers in Sydney are certainty operating in a low risk environment, however the increases in contributions and delay in service delivery in emerging markets is proving difficult to navigate.&rdquo;

&ldquo;With the residential market heating up, many developers are favouring development approved sites to get their project sales moving and capitalise on the current demand.&rdquo;

Despite the trend away from high-density projects in Greater Sydney, Knight Frank said there were developers making longer term plans

Upcoming three-year pipeline of new Sydney apartments sees a significant drop: Knight Frank

One of the penthouses in the Sirius building at The Rocks has been sold to a $19 million buyer from Coogee, setting a new high for Sydney&rsquo;s luxury apartment market of more than $118,000 a square metre.

A larger $35 million penthouse sale equates to $112,000 a square metre, when the 311 square metre space on top of the original brutalist building sold off the plan for $35 million yesterday to a buyer from Point Piper.

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The apartments were sold through Ben Stewart and the CBRE chairman Justin Brown.

The remaining seven penthouses and 67 pod style apartments will be offered for sale this Saturday.

The boutique development will have a dress circle position overlooking the harbour and Opera House.

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The developer JDH Capital is headed by the former Macquarie banker Jean-Dominique Huynh, who commissioned Australian firm BVN to designed the 76 luxury apartments within and atop of the original building.

Prior record prices per square metre include sales in the Opera complex, just across Circular Quay, that fetched a&nbsp;record-setting $96,400 per square metre off the plan in late 2016.&nbsp;

The state government sold the site for $150 million with the building designed in the late 1970s by architect Tao Gofers for the NSW Housing Commission.

&nbsp;

A buyer from Coogee set a new high for the luxury apartment market of more than $118,000 a square metre

Sirius penthouses selling for up to $118,000 per square metre in The Rocks

The Sydney developer ALAND has seen a flurry of sales at two of their Greater Western Sydney developments, as investors continue to&nbsp;look away from the regional areas and invest closer to the city.

ALAND&#39;s Greater Western Sydney projects Schofield Gardens in Schofields, near Kellyville,&nbsp;and their Liverpool development Hoxton, have seen a sharp increase in investor demand.

Data from My Housing Market found that area&#39;s such as Wollongong to the south of Sydney and Newcastle and Central Coast to the north see rental yields in the mid three percent range, when calculating the area&#39;s median property price and median rental price.

ALAND&#39;s Schofield Gardens development has investors seeing gross rental yields topping 4.7 per cent.

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&ldquo;What Sydney property investors don&rsquo;t realise is that they can make much more money in their own backyard than they can in regional areas, while taking advantage of what will probably be much higher capital gains,&rdquo; ALAND sales director Mark Bernberg said.

&ldquo;Sydney&rsquo;s western suburbs are ripe with investment opportunities and no shortage of rental demand.

&quot;Investing in a freshly-built apartment saves many headaches as well, with next to no maintenance required for the first few years of its life.&rdquo;

Schofield Gardens will home one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on Grima Street, opposite Schofield&#39;s Woolworths and train station.

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Prices at Schofield Gardens start from $450,000 for a one-bedroom apartment with parking. Two beds are priced from $550,000 and three-bedroom apartments from $699,000. Completion is slated for mid-2022.

The Schofields Precinct was rezoned by the NSW government in 2012 and new planning controls were put in place to allow for urban development, which the government said at the time would include nearly 3,000 new homes.

ALAND are also seeing investor demand creep back in to their Liverpool apartment tower The Hoxton.

The 32-level tower in the heart of Liverpool, again a short walk from the closest train station, will home 331 apartments.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=9198 project_image_fid=164866]

One bedders in The Hoxton start from $480,000, two-bedroom apartments from $523,000 and three bedroom apartments from $677,000. ALAND also have a mid-2022 completion for The Hoxton.

In 2019, the NSW Government said that population growth for the Liverpool area was expected to increase 26 per cent over the next decade.&nbsp;

The increase in investors in Greater Sydney comes after Knight Frank Research Australian residential development review 2021 found that the&nbsp;Greater Sydney apartment pipeline is tipped to plunge by 2024 by nearly 50 per cent.

The 36,275 new apartment developments to be completed over the next three years are set to be well below the 67,925 recorded in the prior 2018-20 period.

ALAND's Greater Western Sydney projects Schofield Gardens in Schofields, near Kellyville, and their Liverpool development Hoxton, have seen a sharp increase in investor demand

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